Baldur’s Gate 3 players explain why True Strike is game’s worst cantrip
Baldur’s Gate 3 fans are roasting the True Strike Cantrip, explaining why it’s one of the worst spells in the game and how it hasn’t been improved over its equally disliked Dungeons & Dragons counterpart.
Baldur’s Gate 3 only gives spellcasters a limited number of Cantrips (weak spells with unlimited uses), and players have been breaking down why True Strike is the worst choice in the game due to how it hogs the action economy.
True Strike has a cool name, but its effects are less than impressive. It’s a Divination Cantrip that requires the spellcaster to concentrate on its effect. Once True Strike is activated, the caster gains Advantage on their next Attack roll against a target. Every spellcasting class (save for Clerics and Druids) can choose True Strike at character creation.
True Strike often lets down those tempted by the allure of a more reliable aim, as its effect doesn’t live up to the name. For this reason, players have expressed displeasure with the True Strike online, especially as Baldur’s Gate 3 limits the Cantrips spellcasters can take.
Baldur’s Gate 3 players break down why True Strike is the worst cantrip in the game
Larian StudiosA user on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit has outlined the reasons why True Strike is a terrible Cantrip, with other players rushing to kick the spell while it’s down. There are many reasons for this, mostly relating to how it interacts with the game’s action economy.
One fan outlined the issues, “You could use the cantrip before combat to get advantage for the first attack or a rogue could use true strike and use the bonus action to attack with sneak attack. But you could just hide to get advantage and true strike uses your concentration. So you can’t use Haste, Bless, Hex or any other concentration spell with true strike.” These problems extend to D&D 5E, as another user claims, “As far as I know, True Strike is one of the most famously terrible spells in all of D&D.”
The issue is that True Strike takes an Action to use, which means the player is sacrificing their ability to attack or cast a spell in that same turn. It’s usually a lot better to just cast an attack Cantrip, or if you’re concerned about spell slots, then use a spell scroll instead.
The same problem exists in D&D 5E, as better options are available for the same cost. There are other ways you can gain Advantage on attacks without wasting a turn, especially as maintaining True Strike uses your concentration, which could be saved for better spells. Luckily, new playtest material for the upcoming D&D 5E revision hints that a better version of True Strike is in the works.
Developer Larian Studios changed several D&D 5E rules when making Baldur’s Gate 3, with some things being drastically improved over their tabletop equivalent, such as the Ranger class. It’s a shame that True Strike didn’t get the same treatment, as it’s condemned to be as bad in Baldur’s Gate 3 as it is in D&D 5E.